欧米 (Does it include Canada??)

English translation: The West (includes Canada)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:欧米
English translation:The West (includes Canada)
Entered by: conejo

04:54 Nov 2, 2007
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Japanese term or phrase: 欧米 (Does it include Canada??)
I know 欧米 is a pretty easy and generally known word, but I got to thinking... Does it include Canada?? Some dictionaries say "Europe and the US", and others say "West"... in "West", Canada would be included. The 米 in 欧米 could be considered to be like 北米... in that case too Canada would be included.

Native Japanese speakers: 日本人にとって、感覚的に、欧米にはカナダが含まりますか。

Thanks.
conejo
United States
Local time: 16:12
The West
Explanation:
欧州+北米=欧米→This means "the West" (capital "W").

Since 北米 includes Canada, 欧米 definitely also refers to Canada as well.

There is also the term 欧米人. In my opinion, this is more of an ideological / cultural identifier than a geographical one, and would even include the likes of Australians, New Zealanders, and Afrikaaners....not Europeans or North Americans, but fit the role of Westerner in some capacity.
Selected response from:

Troy Fowler
United States
Local time: 14:12
Grading comment
Thanks everybody!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +6The West
Troy Fowler
5Yes, it does
humbird


Discussion entries: 11





  

Answers


38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +6
The West


Explanation:
欧州+北米=欧米→This means "the West" (capital "W").

Since 北米 includes Canada, 欧米 definitely also refers to Canada as well.

There is also the term 欧米人. In my opinion, this is more of an ideological / cultural identifier than a geographical one, and would even include the likes of Australians, New Zealanders, and Afrikaaners....not Europeans or North Americans, but fit the role of Westerner in some capacity.

Troy Fowler
United States
Local time: 14:12
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thanks everybody!!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ruth Sato: exactly!
33 mins

agree  Leochan: 普段あまり意識してないですけど、改めて考えると確かにその通りです
1 hr

agree  KathyT: and don't forget Mexico, which by definition is part of Nth. America! // Aye, I'll be genuinely interested to hear the outcome. Regardless, I think "the West" is nice and ambiguous, just like 欧米 ;-)
2 hrs
  -> Yes, part of NA indeed (as is every country north of Columbia or located in the Carribean basin, which means "North America" includes nearly 20 countries!), but I doubt Mexico or other Latin countries would be included in 欧米.

agree  Maki Ahn (X): I think this term has a more geographical notion than "西洋." As for 欧米人, it often implies Caucasians.
3 hrs

agree  Yuki Okada: I HAVE TO agree that it includes Canada. Probably most Japanese people don't think about Canada when they say 欧米, but if you ask them specifically, the answer must be always yes. Mexico is disputable. Australia and NZ are more likely to be higher in their
9 hrs

agree  Nobuo Kameyama: Kathyさんの仰せの通り、確かにメキシコも地理的に“北米”の一部ですが、普段使われている日本語の「欧米」にはメキシコは含まれていません。私はメキシコを1ヶ月ほど放浪した他、南米大陸も半年近く放浪した体験から、日本人の口をついて出る「北米」の範疇にメキシコが入らないのは、同国がラテン系の国だからと思います。小生は心情的にはメキシコ人や南米人の持つ、“アスタマニャーナ”精神が大好きです。
12 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Yes, it does


Explanation:
Let me be a bit more specific than Troy's answer.

欧米 is a designation to the "White" racially, the "Christian" culturally (religion is part of the culture), and the "Indo-European" linguistically.
Canada certainly falls onto these three categories.

You asked --- "Native Japanese speakers: 日本人にとって、感覚的に、欧米にはカナダが含まりますか"
My answer is definitive "YES". When they think of Canada, to them it is a whiteman's country, in Christian domain, and linguistically they speak English and French. Probably, none of them would think of the Native Americans, the Canada's largest minority group.

HTH

humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40
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